Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 23
>Chapter Title: Corpse Blood Valley Lord (1)
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Mok Kyung-un showed an intrigued reaction upon hearing about some of the memories read from the memories of Gyu So-ha, who had possessed Nang Hwayang's body.
He still had no interest in how the martial world operated.
However, thanks to the information So-ha had read, he could now guess the relationship between the organization called the Justice Alliance and the Heaven-Earth Society.
‘Hostile relationship.’
What was interesting here was the reason they fought.
They viewed each other as enemies because their beliefs and outlooks differed.
Mok Kyung-un found this terribly trite.
What kind of emotion drove them to risk their lives not over simple grudges, but over differing values?
“Righteous faction... How inefficient.”
-Inefficient. Yes, that's true enough. But nothing is as fearsome as beliefs and values.
“Why is that?”
-What wears people down more than grudges is believing yourself to be absolutely right.
“Aaah. I can relate to that.”
Cheongryeong was right.
Though he hadn't met that many people, the ones Mok Kyung-un found most exhausting were those who believed themselves unconditionally right.
Most such people deemed everything besides themselves wrong.
That's why Mok Kyung-un despised them the most.
“Just hearing the name of the organization makes me tired. Justice Alliance? Do they call themselves justice?”
“That's how those types are.”
“But the Justice Alliance calls the Heaven-Earth Society demons or unorthodox?”
-Nonsense!
At Mok Kyung-un's words, Cheongryeong raised her voice.
-They think in black-and-white terms. If they're white, everything else is black. Stubborn fools.
“Is that so? Then the Heaven-Earth Society isn't the unorthodox faction they imagine.”
-The Heaven-Earth Society we created wasn't that simplistic.
‘We created?’
Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed.
Had she contributed to building this massive organization?
Without showing it particularly, he countered on another point.
“Not simplistic?”
-Yes. The frame those repulsive hypocrites slapped on us—calling us unorthodox or demonic—is their twisted belief. But the Heaven-Earth Society was founded to reject that and create a true martial world.
“A true martial world?”
-Do you think the martial world has always defined righteousness as justice and everything else as the root of evil?
“I wouldn't know.”
-Aaah.
There was no way Mok Kyung-un would know.
He had lived a life far removed from the martial world to begin with.
Cheongryeong clicked her tongue and said,
-What the Heaven-Earth Society pursued was returning the martial world to its most primal state.
“Primal? What's that?”
-The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, rule of the strong. The essence of martial arts is ultimately proving one's own strength. In the beginning, they tangled and clashed to measure pure strength, hence it was called the martial forest. But today's martial world is just a war of rotten values.
“........”
-Is there black and white in the world? White paper turns black if stained with ink, and a butcher becomes a Buddha if he sets down his knife. If you insist on judging the world by colors, shouldn't it be gray?
Her voice was filled with anger.
It felt like fury directed at the world, not something one-dimensional like Mok Kyung-un's own.
Curious, Mok Kyung-un asked,
“Then is the Heaven-Earth Society gray?”
-.........
At the question, Cheongryeong suddenly fell silent.
‘I see.’
From that alone, he could tell what she thought of the current Heaven-Earth Society.
At the very least, it wasn't the gray she described.
That's why she felt disgust toward the current Heaven-Earth Society.
Mok Kyung-un changed the subject.
“Anyway, thanks to you, I learned some good information. Justice Alliance spies...”
When possessing someone, he could read some of the host's memories.
Not all, but useful information nonetheless.
-When organizations grow to thousands or tens of thousands, cracks naturally form, and sending spies becomes common. Nothing surprising. But they're stupider than I thought.
“What do you mean?”
-These Dark Heaven spies.
“These guys?”
-Yes. A spy's lifeblood is secrecy for intelligence. Yet these infiltrators share information about each other to this extent. Tsk tsk.
At her words, Mok Kyung-un nodded in agreement.
He was seeing spies for the first time, but considering they were fake members infiltrating enemy organizations, it seemed a strategically poor choice.
If just one opened their mouth like now, they could all be exposed in a chain.
But their foolishness wasn't the important thing right now.
-Anyway, what are you going to do?
“Hmm.”
-Leaving them be seems too late.
From the looks of it, he had thoroughly pissed off the Dark Heaven spies.
Of course, he understood.
Because of him, their numbers dwindled, sharply reducing their chances of mission success.
-It's revenge for lost comrades, but they also think they need to kill you four survivors to pass future checkpoints easily.
“From that latter perspective, it's not a wrong choice.”
-Not the right one either.
“True.”
Success was one thing, but failure demanded a price.
And now was such a situation.
Gyu So-ha, possessing Nang Hwayang's body, spoke in an enthusiastic voice.
“Master. Shall I go take them out one by one?”
He had obtained the body of their comrade, Nang Hwayang.
Since they knew each other's identities, he could easily lure them into carelessness and kill them, or destroy their dantians and cripple them as they had planned.
Mok Kyung-un shook his head.
-What? You're not thinking of letting them off, are you?
“No. No need to bother.”
-No need? Then what?
“This might be better.”
The corner of Mok Kyung-un's mouth curled slyly.
* * *
-Clap clap!
“Hahaha! Finding the spies—it's all thanks to you!”
One of the red-belted warriors clapped Mok Kyung-un on the back, praising his merit.
Mok Kyung-un's choice regarding the Dark Heaven spies was simple.
No need to handle them one by one.
He simply informed the red-belted warriors who the spies were.
‘Killing two birds with one stone.’
No blood on his hands, the spies dealt with, and a chance to earn merit with the Heaven-Earth Society by exposing them.
Truly killing two birds with one stone.
Of course, it was regrettable for the green spirit Gyu So-ha, who had to confess as a spy with the hard-won body and then be discarded.
“Huh? That guy over there—he's a Dark Heaven like me too!”
But Gyu So-ha faithfully played his role.
The place he pointed to was the stairs leading up from below, where a boy stood in panic, at a loss.
‘Hm?’
Mok Kyung-un recognized the boy.
It was the boy who had passed the second checkpoint in his group.
He remembered him for trying to kill the unconscious Mo Ha-rang even while grappling with Mok Yu-cheon and getting injured.
Ma-sang, was it?
At that moment.
-Fwhoosh!
Ma-sang hurriedly shot his form up the stairs.
“Gotcha!”
-Papapap!
The red-belted warriors shouted and pursued him.
If the information from Nang Hwayang the Dark Heaven spy's memories was correct, this was the last of the four surviving spies.
To come find them on his own—truly unlucky.
However,
‘Why's he glaring like that?’
Mok Kyung-un looked at Mok Yu-cheon, who glared at him murderously.
Eyes full of resentment.
Come to think of it, he seemed to have come down the stairs side by side with the Dark Heaven spy Ma-sang.
Mok Kyung-un's eyes narrowed.
‘He knows something.’
Otherwise, he wouldn't glare like that.
What a simple guy.
If it were him, he wouldn't show emotions like that if connected to spies or colluding.
Yet Mok Yu-cheon was extremely honest with his feelings.
Mok Kyung-un chuckled.
‘Simpleton.’
Was it because he was still young?
Should he just label this guy a spy along with the fleeing one and have him dealt with?
After a moment's thought, Mok Kyung-un dismissed it inwardly.
‘Not yet.’
Fake or not, to the Heaven-Earth Society, he and Mok Yu-cheon were both from Timber Sword Manor.
Giving any pretext for suspicion could hinder blending into the Heaven-Earth Society.
‘Gotta leave him be a bit longer.’
Plenty of chances to deal with him later.
Mok Kyung-un waved at Mok Yu-cheon with a smile.
Enraged further, Mok Yu-cheon scowled and stomped up the stairs.
Then someone approached and spoke.
“Mok Kyung-un.”
“Ah. Yes.”
It was a middle-aged man who looked senior to the other red-belted warriors.
The senior warrior, was it?
He pointed downstairs at Mok Kyung-un and said,
“The Valley Lord calls for you.”
‘Valley Lord?’
The one with the demon ghost mask?
Mok Kyung-un followed the senior warrior down to the lower floor.
* * *
The first-floor lodging was used by the red-belted warriors conducting the checkpoints. The Corpse Blood Valley Lord occupied the room attached to the central office.
-Knock knock!
Someone knocked on the door and said,
-Brought the Valley Lord his guest.
At the voice from outside, someone sitting in the office chair gazing at a copper mirror spoke.
“Wait a moment.”
-Yes.
The person in the chair pushed the copper mirror aside.
A scarred face from burns flashed briefly between the mirror and the side.
Soon, the person donned a mask from the office desk.
It was a demon ghost mask.
“Let him in.”
-Yes.
At the demon ghost mask's order, the door opened, and a handsome boy entered.
It was Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un gave a light bow in greeting.
The demon ghost mask waved a hand and pointed to a reception chair.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
As Mok Kyung-un sat, the demon ghost mask rose from the office chair and sat opposite him.
The demon ghost mask stared piercingly at Mok Kyung-un.
Mok Kyung-un met the gaze without flinching.
‘Look at this guy.’
Not avoiding his eyes—bold.
A glint appeared in the demon ghost mask's eyes visible through the mask slits.
First such guy since taking over as Corpse Blood Valley Lord.
Of course, there were occasional brilliant martial talents who passed checkpoints quickly or cunning ones using unexpected methods.
But this one was different.
As the saying goes, you can tell a promising tree from its seed leaves.
This guy seemed to have something that could take him higher than any he'd seen.
But one thing needed confirming.
“Mok Kyung-un.”
“Yes.”
“From Timber Sword Manor of the righteous faction?”
“Yes.”
“You can speak full sentences now.”
“.......Understood.”
“I've heard that you and this Mok Yu-cheon were taken as hostages in exchange for leaving Timber Sword Manor sealed at the gate. Correct?”
At the demon ghost mask's words, Mok Kyung-un felt inwardly puzzled.
Didn't he know the exact reason he was here?
He thought he'd know about memorizing and learning the treasured manual called the Heaven-Earth Society's treasure.
‘Then...’
No need to reveal it.
Mok Kyung-un simply nodded.
“Yes.”
At the answer, the demon ghost mask's visible eyes narrowed.
Then he spoke in a somewhat heavier voice.
“But it's strange.”
-Shing!
No sooner had he spoken than a sword was at Mok Kyung-un's throat.
‘!?’
Mok Kyung-un's eyes sharpened.
He had heard the sword drawn and even seen the muscles move.
Yet without blinking, suddenly the sword was at his throat.
‘........Fast.’
Incredibly fast—so swift it was hard to perceive.
Now he understood why Cheongryeong said his current level was still far from doing anything in the Heaven-Earth Society.
Hard to gauge just how strong.
Then the demon ghost mask continued.
“You weren't here willingly, forced as a hostage—why reveal the Justice Alliance spies?”
What the demon ghost mask sought to confirm.
That was it.
No matter how he thought, he couldn't understand why Mok Kyung-un revealed them.
“I revealed them hoping for a reward. Surprising.”
“Before rewards, convince this Valley Lord first.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
One eyebrow of the demon ghost mask arched.
Sword tip at his throat—a bit more pressure and it would pierce.
Suspected, yet not a hint of shaking.
The demon ghost mask spoke in exasperation.
“Do you realize this is a situation where you could be suspected?”
“With a sword at my throat, how could I not?”
“Then why's your gut hanging out? Or do you have something to dispel suspicion at once?”
“Let's say the latter.”
At Mok Kyung-un's words, the demon ghost mask clicked his tongue.
Then warned in a low tone.
“I'll say this first. In Corpse Blood Valley, this Valley Lord holds power over life and death. You could leave this office as a corpse.”
-Sssizzle!
No sooner had he spoken than hot heat emanated from the sword.
Wondering what it was as the blade heated, Cheongryeong's voice whispered in his ear.
-So it's that guy's blood hand.
‘Hm?’
What did that mean?
Puzzled, Cheongryeong said,
-Mortal. Ask the guy in front of you.
With that, Cheongryeong told Mok Kyung-un something.
Then, the demon ghost mask brought the now-scorching hot sword tip closer and said,
“This Valley Lord's patience isn't long. Convince me qui—”
“Has the House of Yi now mastered control over the internal Fiery Yang Energy?”
‘!?’
No sooner had he spoken than the demon ghost mask's pupils trembled.
The only visible body part through the mask was these eyes, but it was clear he was greatly shocked.
As Mok Kyung-un expected, the demon ghost mask was truly shocked.
How did this kid know this?
Knowledge of the Fiery Yang Energy was held by only a few even in the Heaven-Earth Society.
-Pak!
The demon ghost mask withdrew the sword and grabbed Mok Kyung-un's collar with his other hand, pulling him close and hissing.
“What the hell are you? How do you...”
Trailing off, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and said,
“Do you know about the Crimson Flame Sword Art?”
‘!!!!!!!!!’